Diocletian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. 245–c. 312), born Diocles (Greek Διοκλής) and known in English as Diocletian,[1] was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. Diocletian ended the period known to many historians as the "Crisis of the Third Century" (235–284). Diocletian worked to return Rome to its former glory by making marked changes in key areas.
Religious: He persecuted Christians crucifying more than any other emperor, and promoted the traditional polytheistic religion of the Romans.
Economic: Recognizing a gold drain from the western Mediterranean to the east, he tried to stop the inflation of the region by legislation. He decreed that coins could only be made of gold or silver, stopping the trend of using lead in their creation.
Military: He changed the army from the traditional garrison defense to one that placed small ouposts of soldiers permanently at the border. He recurited local soldiers from the border regions along the Rhine and Danube rivers. These soldiers farmed and lived with their families in a village atmosphere, and lit signal fires on signal towers to warn other outposts of possible incursion of Germanics from across the border. The received regular pay from Rome for their services. He allowed soldiers to move up through the ranks by the accrual of "military credits" earned by years of loyal service and by distinguishing one's self on the field of battle.
Political: He established an autocratic government
[change] Other websites
- Diocletian by Ralph W. Mathisen, University of South Carolina.
- Diocletian from the Catholic Encyclopedia.
- 12 Byzantine Rulers, by Lars Brownworth. 15 minute audio lecture on Diocletian.
- Diocletian Palace in Split
- Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia By Robert Adam, 1764. Wonderful plates made available worldwide by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center. (N.B. "Spalatro" was a less used alternative form of "Spalato", the Italian name for Croatian "Split").
[change] References
